Dynamic PDF Generation from HTML form tool

Question

I would like to create a service that would take 2 fields (name & company name) from an HTML form and place it in a PDF document (a completion certificate that the user can print/save etc.)

How would you recommend doing this?

Answer 1

JasperReports and iReport.

A solution more suited to your problem probably exists, however without knowing anything about the environment and language (Struts? ADF? Grails? PHP? Java? Windows? Linux? Solaris?), the recommendation might not be appropriate.

Answer 2

It'll depend on how your PDF has been constructed. One way is to create your PDF with active form fields to begin with. Then you can simply insert the data into the respective fields programmatically using an SDK that supports form field population. The Document module of our EasyPDF SDK tool does just that if you're looking for this feature in a commercial tool:

http://www.pdfonline.com/easypdf/epsdk_manual/index.htm?page=reference%2Fpdfdocumentsdk%2Fpdfdocument%2Fdescription.htm

If your PDF doesn't have form fields, however, then you may wish to insert text into it instead by specifying the data to be inserted and the XY coordinates where it ought to go. EasyPDF SDK also supports this via calls such as AddPDFText() and similar:

http://www.pdfonline.com/easypdf/epsdk_manual/index.htm?page=reference%2Fpdfprocessorsdk%2Fpdfprocessor%2Fm_addpdftext.htm

Answer 3

go for iText .. its easy and free..